G20 round-up In Saturday (8 July 2017) G20 leaders agreed on a lengthy text on trade policy that covers a commitment to keeping world trade open. Overall the final declaration focuses on the “challenges” of globalisation. It covers excess capacities in steel, sustainable value chains, trade reciprocity, and the …

This week’s highlights: EU Japan political conclusion, G20 summit, EU Mercosur negotiations, and a European Parliament plenary session with speeches by Argentina’s president Mauricio Macri, a vote on Ukraine trade concessions and a debate on the EU’s internal division of labour over trade policy. EU Japan Trade commissioner …

EU Mexico – 4th round of negotiations While EU negotiators are doing all-nighters to try and conclude the EU Japan free trade negotiations, others are trying to accelerate the pace of other ongoing talks with Mexico. The fourth round of talks to modernise the 2001 EU Mexico free trade agreement is taking place this week …

This week in EU trade will be dominated by the following topics: investment screening, Brexit, ‘women in trade’, with a dash of Turkey and WTO. Brexit negotiations begin EU chief negotiator Michel Barnier and UK Brexit minister David Davis are kick-starting negotiations towards Britain’s exit from the EU today (Monday 19 June …

The general elections in Britain have thrown a lot of uncertainty into Brexit negotiations, be it their calendar on their content. The UK’s future relationship with the EU is central in the continued division’s of Britain’s weakened Tory government. Of note the nomination of arch eurosceptic Michael Gove to the …

On the agenda this week: OECD and WTO meetings, a TPC meeting in Brussels on burning services and investment issues, EU ‘development days’, and the UK general election. OECD & WTO ministerials The OECD will host a ministerial meeting of its Council in Paris on Wednesday and Thursday …

Over the week-end, G7 leaders gathered in Taormina, Sicily, did end up finding common language on trade. While rejecting protectionism, the onus was on free “and fair” trade, and on fighting against overcapacities and excessive subsidies. All vowed to work toward the “removal of all trade distorting practices”. The latter …

Donald Trump will be in Brussels on Thursday (25 May 2017) to meet NATO members and EU top officials before all head to Sicily for the G7 summit. EU leaders are still unsure as how to go about their relationship with the new US president and hope have …